A/C problem when outside temp is cold.

[steven112024]

Hello. I have a 98 Civic where the A/C won't work at times. It seems to fail only in the morning at colder temperatures. When it fails, neither the compressor will engage or the condenser fan will not run. When I try again in the afternoon when the outside temp seems warmer and everything works fine.

Here are some things I found when looking under the hood:

The condenser fan fuse in the under-hood fuse box had a 25 amp fuse. It should be 20 amp so I replaced it.

The compressor clutch connector (red wire) is covered with electrical tape. I'm not sure why that would be.

I think I may be low on freon due to a leak somewhere. This would explain the compressor not engaging at times. Any other ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Steven

[96 civicturbo]

When it is cold out the a/c wont kick in intil It hits a certin degree. Your a/c fan will only kick in when the ac kicks in. It runs on the same circuit. And if your a/c freeon is low, and it is warm out it will cycle fast, and if it is empty it will not run at all. Check to see how much freeon is in it.If it is low, fill it up and add freeon dye to the system. Drive the car and let the dye work threw the system and check for leaks. Do this first.

[steven112024]

Originally Posted by 96 civicturbo

When it is cold out the a/c wont kick in intil It hits a certin degree. Your a/c fan will only kick in when the ac kicks in. It runs on the same circuit. And if your a/c freeon is low, and it is warm out it will cycle fast, and if it is empty it will not run at all. Check to see how much freeon is in it.If it is low, fill it up and add freeon dye to the system. Drive the car and let the dye work threw the system and check for leaks. Do this first.

So if my A/C is working correctly, it won't start if it is too cold outside. Is this correct? I just want to make sure before I spend money at the mechanic's. Do you know how cold it would have to be for the A/C not to turn on?

Thanks